NSF limited submissions due Sept. 17 for PFI: BIC

The National Science Foundation has issued the following program announcement which allow UND to submit only a limited number of submissions. Thus, if you are interested in submitting a proposal to NSF for the program, please let us know as soon as possible (barry.milavetz@UND.edu or 777.4280).

The Partnerships for Innovation: Building Innovation Capacity (PFI:BIC) program supports academe-industry partnerships, which are led by an interdisciplinary academic research team with a least one industry partner, to collaborate in building technological and human innovation capacity. This innovation capacity is intended to endure beyond the initial award. Partnerships that build the capacity to innovate are expected to be effective at innovating and able to continue to innovate. They are highly intentional about creating an environment that fosters innovation. These partnerships not only develop new technology but also foster the development of human capital that embraces a culture of change, nurtures the generation of new ideas, and considers feedback an integral part of the innovation processes. Partnership members are diverse, representing a spectrum of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. Partnership activities that drive sustained innovation include the targeted allocation of resources such as capital, time, facilities; and sharing of knowledge in a cross-organizational and interdisciplinary context.

As a result of the limited number of proposals that can be submitted, UND will conduct an internal review of preproposals. Preproposals should consist of the following sections:

― Cover page listing the project name, collaborators, contact person, total budget amount
― Instrument(s) to be purchased or developed and its (their) function(s)
― Impact on the research program of the collaborators, department(s), and college(s)
― Impact on the university’s mission as a whole
― Detailed budget.

Preproposals should be no more than three to five pages in length using a reasonable format (one inch margins, font size 11, single-spaced). Preproposals are due in Research Development and Compliance (RD&C) by 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17. Criteria used for reviewing preproposals will include appropriateness to the goal of the program; probability for funding by NSF; reasonableness of budgetary requests; and impact of the request on the university and the academic units involved. Investigators will be notified of the review results as soon as possible in order to provide as much time as possible to prepare a final proposal for submission.

― Barry Milavetz, associate vice president for Research and Economic Development, 777.4280, barry.milavetz@UND.edu.